A. Banerjee
Brigham and Women's Hospital,
United States
Keywords: antibacterial, antiviral, broad spectrum protection, nasal prophylaxis, nasal spray, pathogen capture, respiratory infections, virus neutralization
Summary:
Nasal sprays for pre-exposure prophylaxis against respiratory infections offers limited protection (20-70%), largely due to their single mechanism of action—either neutralizing pathogens or blocking their entry at the nasal lining, and a failure to maximize the capture of respiratory droplets, allowing them to potentially rebound and reach deeper airways. We present the Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS), which utilizes a multi-modal approach to enhance efficacy. PCANS coats the nasal cavity, capturing large respiratory droplets from the air, and serving as a physical barrier against a broad spectrum of viruses and bacteria, while rapidly neutralizing them with over 99.99% effectiveness. The formulation consists of excipients identified from the FDA's Inactive Ingredient Database and Generally Recognized as Safe list to maximize efficacy for each step in the multi-modal approach. PCANS demonstrates nasal retention for up to 8 hours in mice. In a severe Influenza A mouse model, a single pre-exposure dose of PCANS leads to a >99.99% reduction in lung viral titer and ensures 100% survival, compared to 0% in the control group. PCANS suppresses pathological manifestations and offers protection for at least 4 hours. Our data suggest PCANS as a promising daily-use prophylactic against respiratory infections.